The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) is made up of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI) and the Air Quality Pollutant Inventory (AQPI). Greenhouse gases cause climate change and air quality pollutants are detrimental to human health, the environment and biodiversity.
The GHGI and AQPI are typically generated using a common database system ensuring estimates of greenhouse gases and air quality pollutants are developed consistently and based on the best available data.
The NAEI typically estimates a consistent time series of emissions from 1990 to the reporting year minus 2, however this can vary by greenhouse gas and air quality pollutant due to data availability and reporting requirements.
Governance
The NAEI is maintained under contract to the Science and Innovation for Climate and Energy (SICE) Division at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Air Quality and Industrial Emissions Evidence Team of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The NAEI is also co-funded by the Scottish Government (SG), the Welsh Government (WG) and the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). The UK emission inventories are compiled and maintained by the NAEI consortium, led by Ricardo (the Inventory Agency) in collaboration with Aether, UKCEH, Forest Research, ADAS, Rothamsted Research and Gluckman Consulting.
A consortium led by ADAS compiles emissions of air quality pollutants and GHGs from agricultural emission sources under a separate contract to Defra. ADAS provides the agriculture inventory data and supporting documentation to Ricardo for inclusion within the NAEI submissions.
For a summary of the NAEI compilation process, visit the NAEI methodology page.
For insight into the organisational structure of the UK National Inventory System, including a summary of key stakeholder organisations and their respective roles and responsibilities, visit the NAEI System page.
Connecting statement
The Air Quality Pollution Inventory (AQPI) and the Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI) are generated via a common database system that ensures that inventory and projection emission estimates from the NAEI across all pollutants are consistent, drawing on the same underpinning activity data, emissions and emission factor data resources and hence emissions data per source, whether GHG or AQ, are based on a consistent scope and the best available UK activity and emissions data. Further inventory improvements (e.g. adding new sources/sinks, method improvements, data updates) are managed and approved by DESNZ and Defra, and implemented across the AQPI and GHGI, ensuring that the consistent inventory approach is maintained. The UK GHGI and AQPI are developed, compiled and reported consistent with prevailing international inventory guidance from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and EMEP-EEA (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme-European Environment Agency) (as the IPCC guidance has an impact on AQPI also, and to a smaller extent vice-versa).